Cantilever Scaffold on 28 Floor, Philadelphia, PA

Superior Scaffold was called in to help crews get to the decorative steel structure on the outside of the top of this new building construction at 3601 Market Street.

But how could we get them and their equipment out far enough to work safely on this structure at the top of the building?

A cantilever scaffold from the floor below. For those of you not familiar with a cantilever system it’s basically a way to use leverage to extend out so the weight of the new deck is supported by the floor below.

The initial thought was a traditional cantilever system using aluminum beams, stringers and joists like we’ve done many times before… but smarter heads prevailed and proposed this system scaffold cantilever. It’s lighter, easier to set up, and more efficient. Crews needed to get to the outside of this super structure to skin it and finish it. You can see in the wide shot the shiny metal structure at the top of this building. We’ve essentially created a new floor around the exterior of the top of this building that will allow crews to get up to the next level.

These photos give you a view of how the scaffolding allowed crews to reach the top of the steel structure.

And from the ground you can really see just how large it was. This was a U shaped design with a 220 foot long run on the 36th street side by a 40’ run or return on the Market Street side and then a 12’ run on the Filbert Street side. Each one of the decking planks also has to be tied down so it won’t shift or lift in the wind.

This 28-story mixed-use development will consist of ground floor retail space, five levels of parking to accommodate 201 cars, and 23 floors of residences. The 363 residential units will be a combination of studio/efficiency and one- and two-bedroom apartments. A rooftop amenity level with an outdoor pool deck is also planned.